The matches are to take place at the Premadasa stadium here and at the Pallekele stadium in the central district of Kandy.

"International players will be playing in the SLPL alongside Sri Lankan national cricketers and young Lankan hopefuls," SLC said.

The first edition of SLPL will feature seven provincial teams which will adhere to a compulsory ruling of no more than six overseas players in each squad.

However, it will be mandatory for each team to field only four overseas players in the playing eleven whilst the remaining seven players will all be Sri Lankans with one player, out of the said seven players, will be an under-21 player.

The SLPL was supposed to kick off last year, with SLC's then interim committee signing a five-year deal with the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures to organise the event.

However, the SLC was forced to postpone the event after the BCCI refused to allow its cricketers to participate in the SLPL as it suspected a link between the sponsors and Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner.

The SLC officials said they were confident of the participation of Indian and Pakistani players in the SLPL, which will precede the ICC T20 World Cup hosted here between September 18 and October 7.